Seeing Double
by ashhxmmhmm
Summary: Just when Suze thought she had a truce with the other mediators in her life, death changes everything. Luckily for her, Jesse is there to fight with her this time, with his body and soul.
1. Heaven on Earth

**A.N. So this is my first shot at fanfiction in a while. I used to write it all the time for Star Wars, but I'm not really into that anymore. So here I am writing a little mediator story. I hope you enjoy. Please R&R!**

It was finally Friday afternoon. I carelessly dropped my book bag onto my bed with an exasperated sigh. Slowly, I forced my aching joints to allow myself to lie on the cold wood floor. I felt the chill of the absence of humanity on my back. The shock in temperature was somehow soothing.

I was dead tired. Okay, perhaps dead wasn't the right word. I knew all too well what dead was like. Either way, the long week had drained me. But surprisingly, it was not due to ghost busting. School had actually gotten to me this week, since all of my teachers had finally realized we only had a month of school left and that it was necessary to somehow squeeze in the entire curriculum. Wonderful. 

But again, it _was_ Friday afternoon, and I continued to spend it lying on the floor on my turn-of-the-century (note the nineteenth, not the twentieth) bedroom. The rest of my family, however, was not doing the same.

Sleepy had recently discovered the joy of staying in a college dorm, and rarely graced us with his presence anymore, not that I cared. He showed up about once a week for one of Andy's famous gourmet dinners, but I think that was only out of guilt. Dopey was on a "church retreat", also known as on a road trip to L.A. for plenty of drinking and scantily clad women. Pig. Doc was on a little camping trip with all of his buds. Even the dog had gone with him. I found it cute. Andy and my mom were taking the opportunity to go on a little get away to Mexico for…ew.

Anyway, that left me, the house, and an uneventful Friday night.

I hadn't quite been given the gift of silence yet though. I heard my mom and Andy scrambling to do some last minute packing and desperate little cries of, "Where are the tickets?"

By this time, my body had overtaken the chill of the wood floor. Though I would have liked to find a cool spot, I was too tired to move.

Only my head was able to lift itself up to look at my throbbing feet. I had on some adorable white Prada flats, which I had purchased at a mere fraction of the original price. Too bad they brought hell to my feet.

I must have laid there for another twenty minutes before I heard my mom yell up the stairs, "We're off, Suze! The resort number is on the fridge!"

Of course it was. I couldn't possibly enter the number into my serious lack of a cell phone. 

Nevertheless, I managed a loud "okay" to confirm that I had heard her. That had taken way too much effort on my part.

I heard the door slam and the lock turn. I thought I had found silence.

Soon though, I heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and my bedroom door slowly creaked open.

"_Querida_?"

Suddenly, the pain rushed out of my body, and I realized that there truly was a heaven.

I began to lift myself up immediately to see the face of perfection.

"No," Jesse said, "Don't move, Susannah. You're tired."

And how could I _not_ listen to such a strong yet gentle voice?

I felt Jesse's solid arms slide under my legs and back as he lifted me off of the floor with the utmost care. He carried me over to the window seat and set me down. Damn. I wanted him to keep holding me like that forever. Luckily, though, he sat down next to me, and I soon found my way onto his lap. The whole thing was simply perfect, sitting there being surrounded by him, I mean. I turned my face towards his and subtly began to lean in for what I wanted so badly…

"How was your day, _querida_?"

Talking. Jesse was way too into talking, but his other qualities made up for it.

Still, I sighed a bit before I spoke.

"Tiring," I replied in my best damsel-in-distress voice, hoping my knight in shining armor would kiss all of my troubles away, "They're really wanting us to push our studies hard as the end of the year gets closer. I'm just about burnt out."

Jesse was about to reply in that smooth and silky voice of his, but I pounced at the opportunity to distract him from talking. I seductively placed one finger over his godly lips.

"And do you know what you could do to make me feel so much better?" I asked, not expecting or desiring a verbal reply.

Jesse only smiled knowingly and slipped his hands around my waist.

And then our lips met in pure bliss as I began to run my fingers through his dark hair. I felt his strong chest rise and fall against mine as I drew myself even closer to him. I can't even explain the joy of knowing he was breathing. Really. Knowing that was having no worries. His hand had just found its way in to my shirt (thank God!) when a voice interrupted our moment in heaven.

"Sorry to bother you." There was more than a twang of sarcasm.

I reluctantly separated my lips from Jesse's and turned to the source of the sound. 

And there, in the middle of bedroom, was Paul Slater, surrounded by an eerie glow.


	2. Turned Tables

**A.N. Sorry Paul fans. If you haven't figured it out, I am STRONGLY s/j. Please R&R!**

I sat there in Jesse's lap, shocked.

What the hell was Paul doing in my room, DEAD of all things. I expressed my surprise quite frankly.

"Paul, why the hell are you here?"

"And dead?" Jesse added.

Paul scoffed at Jesse's question.

"Funny you should ask, amigo." His words were slathered with sarcasm. "Considering you just-"

A second ghostly arrival interrupted him. I was in for even more of a shock. Perfectly manicured and made up, Kelly Prescott materialized next to Slater.

"Pauly," she said. I couldn't help but snicker. "Why are we here? Seriously, it's so, like, Suze. Gross."

Yeah, the lace canopy was SO me.

"Don't ask questions," Paul snapped, "You shouldn't have come."

Kelly, dead I might add, made a pathetic little frown and latched herself onto Paul's glowing arm.

"So, Zorro," he said to Jesse, "you think you can kill me? You think you can get rid of me that easily?"

Jesse lifted me off of his lap (suckage) and slowly stood up.

"What," his voice was fierce, "are you talking about?"

"Really?" Paul replied. "Am I that much of a threat? Is Suze here giving you some doubts, cowboy?"

Now, normally I would have thrown in a nice little threat in here, with Paul suggesting that I might not love Jesse and all. But Jesse's reaction to Paul calling him the "C" word kindly prevented me from doing so.

Jesse's face became an intense red (whoa, he's sexy when he's filled with rage) and his hands mercilessly curled into fists.

"I am NOT," he said, "a cowboy, and I did NOT kill you."

Paul didn't seem to care too much for his opinion.

"I will put you right back where you belong for this. In the grave."

Surprisingly, I beat Jesse to the punch, sending Paul and Kelly flying into my dresser, and smashing the mirror on the wall above it. My mother will be terribly pleased.

Not.

Kelly, obviously not experienced in live-on-dead combat, let out a high0pitched shrill and something about a broken nail and quickly dematerialized. Paul, on the other hand, stood up surprisingly quickly and rushed to return my favor.

Too bad Jesse's extremely attractive fist sent Paul flying back into the shards of broken glass.

"I'm not through with either of you yet! You'll see!" Paul cried, just before he disappeared.

Chicken.

"Susannah," Jesse whispered softly as he turned to face me, "I did not kill them. I wouldn't do that, no matter Paul's previous actions."

As if I wouldn't believe him?

I looked into his deep brown eyes and nodded.

"I know," I replied just as softly, laying my head on his strong chest. "But why would they think you killed them? I thought we had called a truce."

"With some people, _querida_, things can't ever be forgotten."

A pleasing chill went down my spine when he called me that, despite the recent conflict that had surfaced. Oh, how I longed for just five ghost-free minutes with Jesse.

But my stupid mediator instincts just HAD to kick in.

"We need to find out what really happened before Paul does something that could land you in serious trouble, Jesse, as well as get them both into hell, or their next life, though I'm thinking it's more likely the former. Either way, we need to go find their bodies."

This time, Jesse nodded.

"Let's go," he stated, a cold look on his face (though still somehow an incredibly hot look. God, I am pathetic). Then, I remembered my throbbing feet.

"Just let me change my shoes."


	3. Paradise, Pair 'a Paul

A

**A.N. Glad you guys are enjoying the story! This chapter is fairly short, but it makes an important introduction. It is a necessity. Please R&R! **

Seventeen Mile Drive is paradise in itself, let alone when you've got a guy like Jesse de Silva as your chauffeur. Better yet, Jesse himself. How did I get so lucky? I try not to question it. Anyways, I was feeling pretty attractive, what with my long brown hair flowing in the wind and my plum Juicy shades, purchased for only 48, I might add. I was a perfect accessory for Jesse and his '68 red Mustang convertible, a token of his hard work at the Carmel Historical Society. He had also started paying for the apartment Father Dom had found for him. It was nice, but I hoped to see A LOT more of it, if you know what I mean.

I turned my head to look at Jesse in the driver's seat, his big strong, tendony left hand casually on the steering wheel, and the other draped around my shoulders.

Yes, I know it was a fairly stereotypical little scene, but it was MY moment. Plus, the fact that the guy next to me used to be dead made it VERY Suze Simon.

Perfect.

Or at least it was, until I suddenly remembered why we were on Seventeen Mile Drive as we drove up to the cold, modern mansion that was doomed if we ever have a strong earthquake, due to the masses of glass.

I shuddered at the thought of all the Paul encounters I had had here.

I looked around the driveway and noticed only one other car besides Jesse's: Paul's silver BMW. There didn't seem to be any sign of one of Dr. Slaski's attendants. They must have taken him on a little outing. At least, I really hoped so. The absence of humanity would explain Paul and Kelly's undiscovered death. Then, the question came to me: how to get in? Dr. Slaski, being rich and all, was likely to have a bundle of warm and inviting alarms. This would look SO lovely when the cops came, and Jesse and I were standing next to a broken window and possibly two dead bodies. I can see the handcuffs now.

Jesse had just opened his mouth to raise the question himself when suddenly a young man, who, with the exception of his kind eyes and forties garb, looked just like Paul Slater.

In all of our surprise, Jesse and I said nothing. We only stared. 

"Well, what are you two looking at?" the ghost asked, "And you, you're…Susan was it?"

I carefully looked at him. Yes, definitely Paul, minus the evil. Nevertheless, I ignored his question.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"It's me!" the ghost proclaimed, slightly annoyed. How very helpful. "The one who gave you some information on saving your amigo over there."

He nodded his heads towards Jesse.

"Dr. Slaski?" I asked.

Well, that explained the Paul look alike.

"You're dead?" Jesse added.

Before Dr. Slaski could answer, I was filled with worry at the obvious question that popped into my mind.

"Did he…" I swallowed, "Did Paul-"

"Oh no, I'm just old," he replied, "Stupid attendant never showed up for his shift, so I'm currently slumped over in my wheelchair, and that damn grandson of mine and his lady friend are crushed under the television in the living room. Stupid kids and their drink…"

"Can we please go inside?" Jesse cut him off quickly.

"Sure, sure," Slaski replied as he opened the door for us, hands free.

Jesse and I quickly ran inside to find that Kelly and Paul were in fact trapped under the giant plasma screen. Forgetting how it would look when Jesse and I were magically in the house when the cops came but at the same time remembering how important it was to get Kelly and Paul to move on, I ran to the nearest phone and dialed 911.

Surely I'd fabricate some story by the time they got here.


End file.
